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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · fan · stick · wax · branch · kid · fine · lie

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — child
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — all right
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — to tease
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com